Lisa's Home Page

Information on Mercy Ships and Liberia

2008-02-22T15:48:00.006-07:00

Dear Family and Friends,

More than I truly realize or even fully comprehend, an adventure of a lifetime is happening – one that I am very excited for and cannot believe. It is one, which I have wanted to experience and share in, that now finally has arrived! In four weeks, I shall embark on a mission trip to Monrovia, Liberia – that is Africa. There, I will be serving with Mercy Ships on the Africa Mercy for three months. While I am on this ship, I will help perform surgery Monday through Friday and on weekends go on missions throughout Monrovia by giving aid in refugee camps, orphanages, and other places.

To give you a better understanding, I have put together information on both the Mercy Ships organization and Liberia; I hope this helps! After you read this, I am sure you will realize why I so badly want to go and be apart of this team.

What is Mercy Ships? So, Mercy Ships is the largest, non-profit, non-military organization in the world, whose sole purpose is to bring hope and healing to the poor using Jesus as its example: the blind see, the lame walk, the mute speak and spreading the gospel to everyone around. What is amazing and so exciting is that Mercy Ships accomplishes this and so much more! It is meeting people’s needs physically while giving them God’s hope of Salvation. On the ship itself, I will assist in performing surgeries in restoring sight, removing tumors and various masses, correcting physical disabilities (club feet, cleft lip/cleft pallets ect..), re-grafting new skin on burned patients and various other surgeries for women. Other remarkable aspects of Mercy Ships is the ability to re-build the 3rd-world-countries – not by using programs that basically gives hand-outs, but taking the countries resources and working with pre-existing local organizations (usually local churches). Through this, Mercy Ship gives people the tools they need to survive and re-build their country to last and not fall apart after we leave. Below, I have listed several programs that Mercy Ships is hugely apart of: ***Women’s empowerment:*** Teaching women how to build businesses, and manage them. This can include raising bees for honey, manufacturing clothes, and raising animals to sell. ***Agriculture***: Teaching men and even prisoners farming techniques and skills to produce food not only for themselves but for the community. ***Community Health Education:*** Building a clinic to serve 50,000 people, and teaching people health hygiene, AIDS education, water sanitation, and basic nursing skills.¨ Mental Health: After the traumatic effects of the war, the Liberian government has been in the process of creating programs to deal with mass mental health issue ***Church empowerment:*** Bringing churches together for encouragement, empowerment, sharing a common purpose to those in need. ***Schools:*** When Mercy Ships arrived, there was already a foundation laid for a school in Congo Town. There, the Mercy Team helped finish the project and provide them with the literature material needed to teach the children. ***Dental Clinic:*** Operates daily out of Redemption Hospital to provide free dental care to civilians and prisoners. ¨ ***Mercy Ministries:*** Giving aide to the Sisters of Charity (organization created by Mother Teresa). This ministry sends volunteer crew to orphanages, refugee camps, men and women’s prisons and the pediatric hospital. Mercy Ships is not only located in Liberia, but also has land-based operations in Sierra Leone and Honduras. When the ship arrives at a country, agricultural, engineers, teachers and missionaries go out into the country – building schools, hospitals, sanitation projects including digging water wells, construction, agriculture, micro-enterprise projects, and most importantly: sharing the gospel. Then, whoever is in the country and needs medical care will enter the ship to receive healing for free. The African Mercy: History: In the year of1999, the Dronning Ingrid (152 meters in length) underwent extreme transformation from a Danish rail ferry into the world’s largest non-governmental hospital ship. The Hospital: Each year, approximately 7,000 surgical interventions are performed onboard. These surgeries include: cataract removal/lenses implant, tumor removal, cleft lip and palate reconstruction, orthopedics and OB-GYN (woman’s health) procedures. On board the ship are also a CT Scan, X-Ray, and laboratory services. All of the diagnosis are transmitted through a built-in satellite communication system. This Africa Mercy is built with six operating rooms and contains a 78-bed ward – larger than any other medical ship known. There is an average voluntary crew of 450 people with 474 berths (including 26 family cabins, 25 couples/2berth cabins and the balance consisting of 1, 2, 3, and 4 berth cabins). Volunteer crew consists of accountants, chefs and kitchen staff, housekeepers, engineers, electricians, plumbers, deckhands, security and that is just a few of them! From the information given so far, you can see that Mercy Ships is more than just a ship, but Global Missions at heart. It is “Going out into all the world”, giving hope and a future to those who have none. So, if you would like to seek more information, you can check out their website at: http://www.mercyships.org/. LIBERIA: ¨Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone ¨Capitol: Monrovia ¨Population: 3.57 million ¨Religions: Christian 40%, Muslim 20%, indigenous beliefs 40% ¨Languages: English 20% (official), some 20 ethnic group languages, of which a few can be written and are used in correspondence ¨Ethnic Groups: indigenous African 95% (including Kpelle, Bassa, Gio, Kru, Grebo, Mano, Krahn, Gola, Gbandi, Loma, Kissi, Vai, Dei, Bella, Mandingo, and Mende), Americo-Liberians 2.5% (descendants of immigrants from the US who had been slaves), Congo People 2.5% (descendants of immigrants from the Caribbean who had been slaves) ¨Government Type: Republic ¨Independence: 26 July 1847 ¨Climate: tropical; hot, humid; dry winters with hot days and cool to cold nights; wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers ¨Elevation Extremes: Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: Mount Tutee 1,380 m ¨Environment Issues: tropical rain forest deforestation; soil erosion; loss of biodiversity; pollution of coastal waters from oil residue and raw sewage ¨Major Infectious Diseases: degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever are high risks in some locations water contact disease: schistosomiasis aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: Lassa fever (2007) blood contact disease: hepatitis B, hepatitis C, AIDS, yellow fever History: In the year of 1820, a settlement of 86 freed slaves from the US began in Liberia (known as “Land of the Free”). These people were known as Americo-Liberians whom established a republic form of government. Thousands more freed slaves fled to Liberia leading to the formation of more settlements and declaring independence of the Republic of Liberia on July 26, 1847. Years passed with many political up rises and downfalls. Then in the year of 1980, Samuel K. Doe dominated the political and military life in Liberia. This raised ethnic tension and caused frequent hostilities between the politically and militarily dominant Krahns and other ethnic groups in the country. Than in the year of 1989 to 2003 one of Africa's bloodiest civil wars ensued, claiming the lives of more than 200,000 Liberians and displacing a million others into refugee camps in neighboring countries. What once was known for its academic institutions, iron-mining, coffee, cocoa, rise, palm oil, bananas, rubber and many other natural resources was completely destroyed. Now, 85% of the population is unemployed and live far below the poverty line. Many refugees fled to Cot d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Ghana. This fragile country that is about the size of Ohio is completely war-torn and will take many years to rebuild. Since 2005, relative peace has been maintained through the aid of armed forces: Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL): Army, Navy and the Air Force.

Welcome 2008!

2008-02-20T22:47:00.005-07:00

Wow, it's hard to believe that almost a year has flown by since I last wrote here. So many things has happened, and much to tell, but I will save you the time from reading it all. What is new is the fact that I am leaving in exactly a month to embark on an amazing medical mission trip! This blog that I have now updated will continue to stay updated for your pleasure of finding out how I am. How exciting! So friends, stay tuned and enjoy the show!

Awesome Video

2007-02-13T12:33:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys --- Here is an awesome video! If you're not excited about Christ or who He is, you MUST watch this! I have been completely blown away by what an amazing God we serve and this video just says it all and more. Just click on the title above and that will take you straight to it. Guys, we Have something to be excited about and that is our Lord! Oh, I pray that our hearts will be passionate, bold, ever-serving and always loving. Let God change us and make us contagious, let us continully fix our eyes on Christ and have a heart for the lost. The Bible says that the Joy of the Lord is our strength, let us therefor rise up and give praise to Him with a willingness to the Lord's Will. May your heart's be encouraged! Check it out!

November / December

2006-12-13T20:27:00.000-07:00

Hello Again!

Well, since Halloween, November and December have been quite busy with various activities, but it has been a lot of fun and very memorable. In early November, one of Don's close friends married a very special lady and I would show some pictures of them but I also want to respect their privacy so you're stuck with just these:

After Thanksgiving, a small town named Beaver Creek had their annual Lighting of the Christmas Tree celebration to where all the little kids go nuts as Santa skates across the rink to light the tree. This night was a lot of fun as they had a huge firework display and Christmas Carrol's sung by groups spread throughout the place. Afterwards, Don and I found this Sushi restaurant and ate octopus, squid, and who-knows what else was inside - but I might add that it was very very delicious!

As some of you know, I have purchased my very first pair of skis and boots, and in the beginning of December, Don and I went skiing in Breckenridge. The snow was so awesome and my skis fit perfectly and a blast! I am so glad that I bought them. As we were skiing along, we found the "Enchanted Forest", which is a haunted trail full of ghosts, witches, graveyards, and spooky buildings. As you can see from the pictures below, we definitely amused ourselves and had a lot of fun.

This last weekend, I took a road-trip North to a city called Steamboat Springs, to where a natural hot-springs exists. This hot water that comes out of the mountain flows into various pools of different temperatures to suit your particular preference. As the afternoon passed, more people came, but I should forewarn you that after dark bathing suits are optional; luckily I left before then. :)

This last Wednesday, I also made the trip to Denver to do my Christmas shopping, then later took a stroll downtown Denver and the famous 16th Street with live music and lights. I had a blast driving through all the traffic and looking at all the Christmas lights strung throughout the streets. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to meet up with my brother or close friends, but I still had a good time and enjoyed the entire day.

Some of you have asked if I even work at all because you never see any pictures, so here are two that were taken. One of our anesthesiologists was having a rough day, so in order to make him smile two nurses and I formed "Team Hagaback" in honor of him. Everyone at work is so awesome and I am blessed to work right besides them.

I hope you all have a VERY wonderful Christmas and am blessed with the company of family and friends! May we not become too distracted with this busy season, but always remember our Saviour who came to die for our sins and create a way for us to come to God. I am so excited, for I am leaving this Saturday to spend a week with my family for an early Christmas. I will write again in 2007!!!

Month of October

2006-11-14T17:53:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!

I appologize for taking so long again to update this blog. Life has been very busy for me and challenging, but it has been good. I cannot believe that I have been here 2 1/2 months and feels so much shorter than that - almost as though I have barely blinked my eyes. I do enjoy life here, but at the same time I have missed Montana as home: my family, and dear close friends. Yet even with that, everyone here has been very wonderful and super nice. For those of you who do not know, I have signed on another contract to help this hospital throughout the winter season and will finish sometime in March. Winter has definately set in and as soon as I get some pictures I will update that as well. Most of the ski resourts have opened and supposedely this weekend Vail Ski Mountain is supposed to open - to the absolute joy of everyone here. I am very excited for this ski season for I have bought my very first pair of skiis and boots and am dying to try them out sometime soon. Anyway, below are some pictures of what has happend, but I need to be taking much more to show all of you.

Last month, the Dommer Family came up from Denver to stay at their Time-Share - to which I stayed with them that weekend in Breckonridge. It was very relaxing and a wonderful time. My brother was going to try to make it, but due to school was not able to. I keep hoping to make a trip down to Denver to see him and others, but unfortunately that hasn't happened yet.

A couple weekends ago my good friend Don took me out to the Sweet Basil restaurant, which is a very fancy North-American cuisine and to-die-for food with quite the artistic arrangements. That night it snowed so much that interstate was closed and many people were stranded until the next day when the roads could be plowed; still, it was a beautiful winter-wonderland and the perfect night to head out. Don is a very sincere, strong christian whom I admire in many ways and has helped made life feel more like home. I am greatful for having someone who loves the Lord and who has a huge heart for the people in this valley.

For Halloween, one of the nurses that I work with had a "Pumkin-carving party" to which was very fun. She went to so much work in creating quite the halloween foods and provided everything needed to carve the perfect pumkin. :)

The pumkin on the upper left is the one that I carved; all the other pumkins are ones that the others had carved.

For those of you who pray, here are some things that you can keep in mind. Please pray that God will continually use me and that I will not loose focus of the real reason of why I am here and that is to share the gospel and living out the light that God has called me to be. Sometimes I feel alone - but that is when key friends like Don and Shae are huge encouragements and blessings to me. There are a few surgeons who contstantly challenge my faith - which I encourage them to do, but sometimes I do not know the answers and feel beaten. I know that it is good and healthy for me because it then makes me search out the real reason why I believe the things that I do. Through this and other ways, God is really refining who I am and that has been challenging but good and I am thankful for that. I ask prayer that I will not let my heart become discouraged by the challenging things I face, but that I will continually stand firm in Faith in the Lord - my life is for my God and I don't want to become distracted and loose focus or passion.

Pictures from the last 3 weeks!

2006-10-03T19:41:00.000-06:00

Hello Everyone! Here are some pictures from the last 3 weeks and the things that I have been doing. On September 22- 24 it snowed like crazy - Vail ended up with 3-4 inches, and the top of the pass had around 7 inches. That snow was so much fun and making a "snow-bear" was a blast. Although the snow is gone now, I am looking forward for winter with all of the various out-door activities!

After that weekend, the weather warmed up again as the snow melted revealing the extremely beautiful aspen trees. Considering the facts that the leaves wouldn't be on much longer, I decided to take a road trip with 2 of my really good friends from work: Shae and Don. This road trip started from Vail, headed South through Leadville, over Independence Pass to Aspen. Below are some of the pictures that were taken of these gorgeous mountains:

Shae is such an incredible and awesome person. She is so full of life and joy, but her heart for the Lord is rich. Being able to spend the whole day with her made me smile and laugh so big inside :)

Top of Independence Pass: 12,095 feet.

Pictures between the Pass and Aspen:

Aspen, Colorado

Outside of Aspen are the famous Marroon Bells. These moutains get their name from the maroon colored rock and the fact that the mountains are shaped somewhat like bells. If ever passing through Aspen, I highly recommend stopping here for a breath-taking view:

After sight-seeing Maroon Bells, we traveled North to Glenwood Springs:

At the very top of the mountain they have a gravity-pulled rollercoaster ride built upon the mountain-side. This ride is such a blast because you can control how fast or slow you choose to go. Unfortunately, the restaurant was closed and the caves competely booked for viewing.

Living here in Vail, Colorado has been such a blessing to me in many many ways and I am so very thankful to be here. Actually, I have re-signed for another assignment which will keep me here till March or so. God has been using my life in many different ways and has become so real and alive to me. I have joined the worship team at Vail Bible church and am playing their grand piano and singing with 2 other guys who play the guitar and sing. I have also become very good friends with my next door neighbors and many people from work. Without a doubt in my mind, I know this is the place where God wanted me to be and what an awesome and incredible road it's been so far! :)

Vail Colorado!

2006-09-20T20:26:00.000-06:00

Here are finally some pictures of Vail, Colorado!

The Valley

Top of the ski mountain at 10,200 feet; Overview of Vail

My Appartment complex; View of Vail mountains

Downtown Vail

Outskirts from Vail

Sister Trip

2006-08-13T13:22:00.000-06:00

My sister, Laura and I had started a tradition of taking a sister-trip to various places. Last year we made our journey North to Edmonton, Alberta; then traveled South through Jasper and Banff National Parks, Calgary and Lethbridge. This year we made our voyage by traveling West to Sandpoint ID for a Nickel Creek concert, and Spokane, WA to re-visit a place our family has traveled many times before. This trip was so awesome, so much fun and a blessing to me in many many ways. Although it was only a 3-day trip, we were able to go a lot of places and experience new things. Both these places are very beautiful in their own style and if we had more time, I would have loved to stay a little longer. Here are some of the pictures that were taken:

Noxon Vacation Trip

2006-08-09T23:07:00.000-06:00

Here are some pictures from our family trip to Noxon. Both my aunts and uncle, along with Grandma, my great uncle and cousins were there all having a blast and enjoying each other's company. As you can see, I was quite active and actually this was my first time learning how to wake-board. For those of you who love water sports and have never tried this, I highly recommed it!

State Fair!

2006-08-09T22:33:00.000-06:00

Here are some of the pictures that were taken during the State Fair. Some of my closest friends from living here: Jon, Tara, me, and Justin. Here Jon and I are getting ready to be thrown into the air on the Ejection Seat ride. Waiting anxiously.. And off we go! Boy was it a blast - though too short... Wild rides are definately one of my favorite things! The faster and scarier, the better. :)

Harvest season is here with a suprise!

2006-07-28T13:02:00.000-06:00

Well my friends, it the end of the summer which means the beginning of harvest. We just started a few days ago and haven’t quite entered the business of cutting yet – only winter wheat is ready and spring wheat is still somewhat green. For those of you who are not familiar with the difference, winter wheat is planted in the fall and harvested the following summer. This wheat will get a start before cold weather begins, stop before snowfall, then starts again in the spring. Spring wheat, on the other hand, is planted in the spring and ripens the same summer – usually a few weeks after winter wheat ripens. Each wheat crop depends on several things: the soil and weather must be right, the seed must be good and free from disease, and the grain must be harvested at the right time.

Harvest time is always the stressful time of the year, yet still in each year there seems to be some sort of excitement that turns up. Yesterday, both my brothers were cutting and saw a bird flopping within the stubble. To find out what it was, Nick went over to see and found a little Red-tailed hawk! So doing what most farm people do, he brought it home and we’ve been taking care of it, though will let it go later on today. Strangely enough, although he may try to act all tough and mean, he hasn’t tried to bit, claw or anything else. The name Petrie sounded really cool. :)

My Life's Journey

2006-07-26T09:19:00.000-06:00

This is my story of how God has lead and guided me through this journey we all call life. I am thankful for what the Lord has done and am excited for how He is continually preparing my future.

My entire life was raised on a wheat farm that seemed like it was always swarming with animals. Mom home-schooled all of us 4 kids, and though that may sound like I grew up pretty much absent from people, I am so thankful for what my parents had sacrificed in their time in teaching us. Both my parents are very godly and strong in the faith and in the Lord — I couldn’t have been more blessed by having them in my life. :) Our family always went to church on Sundays and when possible Laura and I would head to youth group on Wednesday nights. It was when I was 13 years old that my faith in God really took off. I realized that there was so much more to life than just being a “christian” and to walk where Jesus walked and have your life truly changed meant becoming nothing of yourself and everything to God. Through the next years to come did that really mean something to me. When I was between the ages of 13-16, I became very sick and because of it I had to lean completely on God. In one week, I lost almost all my strength, became allergic to 22 different foods including eggs, wheat, soy, citrus fruits and milk; body aches everywhere and the immune system of probably only 50% (which meant that if I came down with a flue or cold, instead of having it for a few days it would tarry for 3 weeks or so). At first the doctors thought that I had mono or multiple sclerosis, but after those were ruled out they couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me. It wasn’t until later on that we finally realize that I had CFS or more known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I had to learn to entrust my life to the Lord in everything. If I did not ask him for strength, then I wouldn’t have enough for the day and Mom would even have to help me up the stairs or other simple task. Though these years were the hardest years of my life, they were the best years of my life and I would never trade them. Why? God became so incredibly real to me in every way and my desire to know Him increased ever more. Even though God took so much of my life away, He gave me so much more in return. It was through this period that I learned how to play the piano and guitar and even began writing worship songs and helped lead worship with my sister at the church. I also learned to count my sufferings joy; for there were many times when I would go up for healing prayer, yet, each time I became only weaker than before. As a couple years went by and not being healed, I finally came to the point where I didn’t want God to heal me because I truly believe that He could use me so much more when I was so dependant upon Him, plus I didn’t want to face another disappointment when I wouldn’t be healed.

So in the year of 1999, a mission trip was headed off to Romania. My parents said that I could go, but the closer that it came to leaving, the weaker my physical body grew. It got to the point where my parents said that Laura (my older sister) should go in my place because how in the world would I even survive and what would I eat? But I remembered that the Lord had called me to go and I remembered His promise that He would provide every need. So I went and God did provide. I had all the strength that I needed and the whole trip was amazing. Some of the leaders believed that God did want to heal me, but I didn’t and gave them all my reasons why God wouldn’t. Finally when we arrived back in Minneapolis, MN, I told God that I was going to give Him one more chance and if He didn’t heal me, then I never wanted to ask again. Yet, God did heal me that time – though I think it was more of the daily walking by faith in believing that God healed me that’s what truly healed me.

That fall I went to public school as a Junior, and throughout the last two years I lead Youth Alive every Wednesday and was very involved with about 4 different choirs. School itself was not much of a challenge, but the whole social atmosphere was and definitely learned much about many things – a lot of things I didn’t want to know, but that’s life. Public high school was good in a lot of ways, but life was hard and I never felt like I connected with almost everyone – except I did have a lot of guy-friends and played basketball often. My Senior year was incredibly lonely and waiting for graduation to come seemed like forever, but it did and that part of my life is over. Looking back, I wonder how much I made a difference in people’s lives, but the comforting thing is knowing that God knows and He’s in control. My first year of college was attended at MSU-Bozeman for the nursing program. That year I became apart of a Christian group called Intervarsity and helped lead worship by singing and sometimes playing the keyboard. I also became involved with Campus Crusades and absolutely loved their worship and teachings. Within every dorm was a grand piano, which I would play for hours. As a Christmas gift, one friend connected me with a guy who recorded and maded CD’s, and it was then that I made my first CD with the songs that I had written. God really blessed me in a lot of ways throughout that year, but it still was hard and for the most part I still felt out of place. Even though I had not much of a social life and studied my butt off for classes, my grades were really low and the more I thought about it, the more I realized how I really didn’t want to pursue nursing. So the next year I transferred to MSU-COT- Great Falls for the Surgical Technician program.

In Great Falls, I roomed with a gal who is an absolute sweetheart and she became my best friend. We did everything together and having her in my life was such a blessing. I also became very involved with my church – whether being on the prayer team or being involved with 2 other worship teams (playing piano and singing). Two years of school went by then graduated with a 4.0 as a Surgical Technician. (For those of you who do not know what a surgical technician is one who assists the surgeon and passes instruments throughout the surgery and makes sure that he has everything that he needs). As soon as I was out of school, the main hospital hired me and I worked at Benefis for the next 2 years. Working there gave a really good foundation in my career and in all honesty, I do miss the people, the surgeons and being involved with those surgeries. So, where is my life heading now? I have signed on with a world-wide traveling medical company and will work each assignment roughly 13 weeks – or depending on how long that particular hospital needs me before I head of to the next place. I am really excited about this and considering the facts that I’m still single, traveling around the U.S. sounds like the perfect time to do it. I am excited for how the Lord is directing my paths and what my future will bring. In this next season, I know I will learn so much and be stretched in so many ways that will make me a better person. It is Christ who I live for and His will is my purpose in life.